Saskatchewan couple face $1M medical bill for US birth

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Bagor

The whole point of contention seems to be her health at time of travel.




Take away lesson here appears to be that if in doubt get a clearance to travel letter from your doc. Hopefully it is in her notes that he cleared her.

If she has a letter from the doctor clearing her for travel, I would sue Blue Cross long before I declared bankruptcy.

[Hatter]

My Uncle was visiting Canada with No travel insurance and cut his finger mostly off on a tablesaw. He was billed around $17000 for the emergency care and surgery, which doesn't seem as unreasonable as this. As far as I know he just paid the bill.

It appears that our system for visitors injured is quite similar.

[Flash Walken]

The take-away lesson here is why would ever go to the US if you didn't absolutely have to?

What sort of bizarro world do we live in where we are trying to rationalize a million dollar (MILLION DOLLAR) bill for a premature birth?

I would LOVE to see the itemized list of the bill.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

If she has a letter from the doctor clearing her for travel, I would sue Blue Cross long before I declared bankruptcy.

Agreed, but I am interested in:

1. When if the policy lapsed before the birth
2. If/how the policy had been renewed before
3. Definiton of "insured" under the policy.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The take-away lesson here is why would ever go to the US if you didn't absolutely have to?

What sort of bizarro world do we live in where we are trying to rationalize a million dollar (MILLION DOLLAR) bill for a premature birth?

I would LOVE to see the itemized list of the bill.

No...you probably wouldnt.

What I'd like to see is an itemized COST. Not what the hospital charges, the actual costs. Overhead, pro-ration of doctor/nurse time and attention, etc.

Show me what it actually costs versus what they charge for it.

[j_j]

Why would an insurance company put any weight on a letter from your doctor? It's a moot point regardless of whatever it says and whatever he tells you. This isn't their doctor, it's your doctor. He/she's clearly biased.

If and when something happens and you try to access the coverage, then the only issue is going to be whether the incident can be tied to something in your past medical history.

I'm no doctor, but how hard is it to draw a line between vaginal bleeding during the pregnancy and early delivery? Probably not all that hard.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Locke

No...you probably wouldnt.

What I'd like to see is an itemized COST. Not what the hospital charges, the actual costs. Overhead, pro-ration of doctor/nurse time and attention, etc.

Show me what it actually costs versus what they charge for it.

Like all business there will be a mark up. I wonder if they went to the "MacDonalds" of hospitals.

Also, doen't everything cost more in Hawaii?

[Travis Munroe]

Seems as if there are quite a few twists to the entire situation but surely this will cost US tourism more than a million, won't it?

Note to the world - if it is true that a unborn child is not eligible for coverage, watch where you travel when pregnant. If it really did just have to do with the policy expiring.... I feel bad for them but not that bad. Anytime I visit the US, I quadruple check my insurance/coverage and add more than I need.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Like all business there will be a mark up. I wonder if they went to the "MacDonalds" of hospitals.

Also, doen't everything cost more in Hawaii?

Yes, if I remember correctly, it was more expensive for a pineapple in Hawaii than it was at your Calgary Safeway.

Everything else makes sense due to geographical location but the pineapple thing really confused me.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by j_j

Why would an insurance company put any weight on a letter from your doctor? It's a moot point regardless of whatever it says and whatever he tells you. This isn't their doctor, it's your doctor. He/she's clearly biased.

If and when something happens and you try to access the coverage, then the only issue is going to be whether the incident can be tied to something in your past medical history.

I'm no doctor, but how hard is it to draw a line between vaginal bleeding during the pregnancy and early delivery? Probably not all that hard.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by j_j

I'm no doctor, .

This is why you struggle with this:

Originally Posted by j_j

Why would an insurance company put any weight on a letter from your doctor? It's a moot point regardless of whatever it says and whatever he tells you. This isn't their doctor, it's your doctor. He/she's clearly biased.

.

The doctor should be unbiased.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Like all business there will be a mark up. I wonder if they went to the "MacDonalds" of hospitals.

Also, doen't everything cost more in Hawaii?

Yeah, but I think the US is the only place where hospitals are a business. And whats considered a reasonable markup? By whom?

I've never been to Hawaii so I cant comment, I have hurt myself in Tahiti and that went really well.

Those cheese eating surrender monkeys know how to help people!! *said while shaking fist angrily a la Groundskeeper Willy*

[j_j]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

This is why you struggle with this:

The doctor should be unbiased.

Everyone has a bias. Ever had two doctors give you different opinions of the right course of action...that happen to coincide with their areas of specialty?

I'm sure their OB was trying to be helpful, but they don't represent the insurance company..and shouldn't pretend to do so. Probably gave this couple a sense that they were all clear.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, but I think the US is the only place where hospitals are a business. And whats considered a reasonable markup? By whom?

I guess the market sets/accepts what is reasonable.

I honestly don't know what other places in the world have "for profit" hospitals.

I've never been to Hawaii so I cant comment, I have hurt myself in Tahiti and that went really well.

Those cheese eating surrender monkeys know how to help people!! *said while shaking fist angrily a la Groundskeeper Willy*

So the hospital in Tahiti was a treat?

[GoinAllTheWay]

My understanding of the situation is this:

Couple did their due diligence, yes. In respect to the MOTHER. When the kid was born, he/she required intensive care of sorts. This is not covered under the policy as the kid is not insured under the policy, only the mother/father were.

I'm guessing if they had a family policy of sorts, none of this would have happened. Not that they would have thought of that as she wasn't due for a couple of months but it really was dumb to travel when she was that pregnant.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by j_j

Everyone has a bias. Ever had two doctors give you different opinions of the right course of action...that happen to coincide with their areas of specialty?

I'm sure their OB was trying to be helpful, but they don't represent the insurance company..and shouldn't pretend to do so. Probably gave this couple a sense that they were all clear.

Different opinions on a course of action/treatment is not the same as you saying the doctors is "biased".

A lot of medical care, while based in science, is an art. There are good artists and bad artists.

Your comment unless I read it was, was saying that their doctor would only produce a letter/opinion that was complementary to the couple's position/plight.

I believe that is incorrect. I believe that physicians are required to be unbaised and impartial.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I guess the market sets/accepts what is reasonable.

I honestly don't know what other places in the world have "for profit" hospitals.

So the hospital in Tahiti was a treat?

The market? The market has a tendency to be pretty lenient when theres a human clawing it's way out of you without any consideration for the inconvenience or cost.

Might be one of those scenarios when someone should step in and dictate as opposed to just 'letting the market decide.'

When a guy comes into the ER with a gunshot wound are the Doctors all huddled around him bidding lower and lower prices to be the one to win the contract of helping him?

No? Thats right, because theres no competition when theres a crisis. I think thats...something, something, hippy/socialist BS...something, something....taking advantage of people in a vulnerable situation.

The hospital in tahiti was great, they even gave me a drink. Granted, I was pretty irritable without one. They may have just taken one for the team on that one.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Locke

The market? The market has a tendency to be pretty lenient when theres a human clawing it's way out of you without any consideration for the inconvenience or cost.

Might be one of those scenarios when someone should step in and dictate as opposed to just 'letting the market decide.'

When a guy comes into the ER with a gunshot wound are the Doctors all huddled around him bidding lower and lower prices to be the one to win the contract of helping him?

No? Thats right, because theres no competition when theres a crisis. I think thats...something, something, hippy/socialist BS...something, something....taking advantage of people in a vulnerable situation.

The hospital in tahiti was great, they even gave me a drink. Granted, I was pretty irritable without one. They may have just taken one for the team on that one.

hey hey, don't take my posts as accepting or an endorsement of that system. BTW, I think it is proper ####ed.

But at the end of the day the hospitals will set prices that the public and/or the insurers will pay.

My brother in law in Denver pays out approx $5000 a year in deductibles, and he has a great HMO.

You know the US will never allow:

someone should step in and dictate as opposed to just 'letting the market decide.'

Freedoms, theya re all about the freedoms. You know like the freedom to die because you can't afford to go to the hospital.

[Flamenspiel]

Well its a tough one to call, but I gather the one good thing is the child will have dual citizenship so call it a long term investment by the parents. The ability to work in multiple geographies is definitely a leg up.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Different opinions on a course of action/treatment is not the same as you saying the doctors is "biased".

A lot of medical care, while based in science, is an art. There are good artists and bad artists.

Your comment unless I read it was, was saying that their doctor would only produce a letter/opinion that was complementary to the couple's position/plight.

I believe that is incorrect. I believe that physicians are required to be unbaised and impartial.

Doctors are incredibly vulnerable to lawsuits. That's why if he wrote a letter that said that he was basically guaranteeing a stable pregnancy and that she could travel then he's already sort of in the legal cross hairs.

a 3 month premature birth which is what this sounds like isn't exactly usual.

It wasn't that long ago that doctors were telling woman not to travel at all in their last trimester because travel is incredibly stressful on pregnant woman.